Forum for Science, Industry and Business
Sponsored by:     Siemens  n-tv 
Search our Site:

Topic (optional):

 

Home Reports Earth Sciences Content

Tomography and ground penetrating radar used to characterise mud from metal mining

next article
26.11.2007

Electrical resistivity tomography is a technique based on the study of the response of the ground to electric pulses, while ground penetrating radar does the same but using electromagnetic pulses; this makes them ideal tools to determine the composition and structure of mud ponds of metallic tailings.

 

Added to other techniques in the arsenal of Geochemistry and mineralogy like chemical analysis and X-rays, and with the added advantage of them being cheap, fast and non-destructive methods, a great precision is achieved.


This statement has been described in the research work titled “Aplicación conjunta de técnicas geofísicas, mineralógicas y geoquímicas para la caracterización geoambiental de balsas de lodos mineros” (Combined application of geophysic, mineralogical, and geochemical techniques for the geoambiental characterisation of mining mud ponds) and is directed by the geology professor Tomás Martín Crespo from the Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC).

The south of Spain alone has over 80 metal mines, some still active and some already inactive. The abandoned storage ponds are made up of grain sized materials, ranging from medium to fine, that contain sulphides of low economical importance and a small proportion of waste metal that failed to be extracted. They represent an environmental issue, being a source of acidic mine drainage and heavy metals. It is crucial that all the storage ponds are evaluated and characterised prior to the natural restoration work of the mining fields.

The researchers at the URJC have focused on two particular mining fields (Monte Romero and Río Tinto) both in the Spanish province of Huelva, where the new geophysical techniques have provided excellent results. The electrical resistivity tomography worked particularly well, not only determining the precise geometry of the storage pool thanks to the high electrical resistivity contrast among the tailings and the bottom of the pool but also determining the different deposited layers and their heterogeneity. It even succeeded in differentiating the flows of groundwater inside the pool by the low resistivity of water.

The ground penetrating radar is very helpful in determining the characteristics and geometry of the sides and surface of the pool, detecting changes in humidity, but being more limited than the tomography because of the high attenuation effect that the tailings and the water in the pool have.

Gabinete de prensa | Source: alphagalileo
Further information: www.urjc.es

next article

More articles from Earth Sciences:

nachricht NASA's QuikScat and Aqua providing important data on Tropical Storm Anja
20.11.2009 | NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

nachricht Oceans' uptake of manmade carbon may be slowing
19.11.2009 | The Earth Institute at Columbia University

All articles from Earth Sciences >>>

B2B Search

Product / Service
Company / Organisation

Latest News

Scientists Unravel Evolution of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish

20.11.2009 | Life Sciences

When good companies do bad things: Examining illegal corporate behavior

20.11.2009 | Business and Finance

UCR plant scientist's research spawns new discoveries showing how crops survive drought

20.11.2009 | Agricultural and Forestry Science

VideoLinks

Event News

Multidisciplinary meeting on Urological Cancers aims to benefit cancer patients

20.11.2009 | Event News

'Golden Age' for clinical psychology in Northern Ireland

20.11.2009 | Event News

New Perspectives in Marine Anti-Fouling Research

11.11.2009 | Event News